Dam for journal bearings



NOV. 25, 1941. H KE 2,264,249

DAM FOR JOURNAL BEARINGS Filed July 9, 1938 ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 25, 1941 DAM FOR JGURNAL BEARINGS Robert J. Shoemaker, Chicago, 111., assignor to Magnus Metal Corporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application July 9, 1938, Serial No. 218,420

3 Claims. I (Cl. 30856) This invention relates in general to improvements in bearings and, while it has more particular reference to journal bearings used on railway rolling stock, it will be apparent that certain features of the invention have other and more general application. I

A principal object of the invention is the provision in a journal bearing of means for automatically stopping the oil attacking the bonding material to prevent loosening of the lining from the brass and further to prevent chipping and cracking of the lining due to the loosening of said lining from the brass.

It is well known that oil and other petroleum products have a deleterious effect upon the hesion between the main body portion and the lining, a dam is provided in the main body portion to prevent the oil from flowing longitudinally through the bonded surface and to thus prevent the lining loosening from the main body portion. The dams are preferably provided adjacent the ends of the main body portion, but they may also be provided therebetween so that even though the oil may creep or flow past the first dam, it will be prevented from flowing farther than the second or possibly the third dam. The dams are constructed of a material having a higher heat conductivity than that of the main body portion, so that the heat will be transmitted through the bearing more rapidly at the points where the dams extend therethrough. Consequently, the temperature of the oil which reaches a dam will be lowered to a certain extent and it will not flow as readily thereafter, because the heat will be dissipated therefrom cause thelatter to disintegrate, with a consequent failureof the bearing. r

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a dam in a journal bearing which is so located between the main body portion and the lining as to substantially eliminate the possibility of the lubricating, or other petroleum products, from coming into contact withthe bonded surface. 7

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent asit is better .understood from the followingv description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof. o p

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a journal bearing embodying the features of the. invention with part of the lining broken away to'show more rapidly through the dam than through the material of the main body portion of the bearing.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a journal bearing which prevents the deteriorating action of the oil upon the bonded surface between the main body portion and the lining by obstructing the passage of the oil therethrough, since lubricating oil, or other petroleum products, has a corrosive action on the solder or other bond employed and will the dams mounted in grooves in the concave surface of the main body portion; 4 a 7 Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1; V V 7 Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of ,Fig. 2, illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention; and V Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentarysectional view, similar to Fig. 3, illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral II indicates in general the body portion of a non-rotary member of a journal bearing, commonly called the brass, which may be of any desired form and is preferably cast from some suitable alloy. The body portion II is provided with a lower concave surface 12 to which is applied a lining !3 of babbitt or other suitable material, which is'applie'd in the'usual manner to the surface I 2 after it has been tinned or soldered so that it will adhere firmly thereto.

Formed in the lower surface I2 of the main body portion ll, by machining or by being cast therein, are a'plurality of transverse grooves or channels M. Any desired number of these grooves I 4 may be provided and they are preferably spaced in parallel relationship 'to each other and extend completely across the concave surface l2. It is to'be understood, howeventhat at least two grooves be provided, one adjacent each end of the main body portion II. The grooves M are preferably substantially semicircular in cross-section.

In the form of journal shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a rod I5 is positioned in the grooves 14. The

rods I are preferably circular in cross-section having a diameter equal to approximately the depth of the groove, so that when the rod I5 is placed in the groove I4, the rod is substantially flush with the concave surface I2 of the main body portion I I. It is not necessary to have the rods I5 run all the way up to the edge of the lining I3. Since there is no bearing contact at the edge, there is less danger of the lining becoming loose than if the edge was in contact with the journal IS,

The rods I5 may be positioned in the grooves I4 either before or after the surface I2 is tinned. However, it is preferable to position the rods .in the grooves before the surface I2 is tinned, since the babbitt or other suitable material will adhere more closely to a tinned surface than to a plain surface. The lining I3 is then molded or otherwise secured to the main body portion I I to maintain the rods I5 in place. Those portions of the grooves I4 which are not filled by the rods I5 will function as additional retaining means for the vlining,,since thelatter will fill any such portions of the grooves, as will be seen particularly in Figs. 2 and 3.

The lower surface of the lining I3 is formed to substantially conform to the upper portion of the usual journal I 6'(shown in broken lines in Fig. 2) in a well-known manner. A pair of longitudinally extending grooves or channels H are machined or molded in this lower surface of the lining I3. and terminate short of .the ends of the lining as best seen in Fig. 1, although they may be extended to either or both ends of the lining if desired. Referring to Fig, 2, the channels I! are preferably flat in cross .section to provide an oil retaining well or reservoir.

In this type of journal bearing, lubricating oil is supplied to the .outer surface of the journal I6 in the usual manner by means of saturated waste disposed within the journal box (not shown) and contacting the lower-surface of the journal, although any other means of supplying a lubricant may be employed if desired.

In the operation of the bearing, rotation of the journal IE will carry oil into the-channel I! at the inbound side of the journal. The oil collected in the inbound channel will provide sufficient lubrication to the journal and insure a con- 7 stant lubrication thereof. When the bearing I6 is rotated in the reversedirection the journal will carryoil into the other channeL'thus a sufficient supply of oil willalways be available to .lubricate the bearing I6.

It has been ,found in the use of ordinary journal bearings that after a limited period of time, the lining I3 will loosen from the main body portion and eventually disintegrate. 'It is well-known that oil and other petroleum products have a deleterious effect upon the bond usually employed in the manufacture of bearings. By placing rods or dams I5 in the :grooves I4 at each end of the bearing and one or more through the-central .part of the main bearing portiongthe looseningo'f the lining I3 from the mainbody portion I I is-almost entirely eliminated.

The chemicals .in .oil or other petroleum products which attack the bearing and act upon the :bonding surface :between the lining I3 and the curved portion I2 ;of the main :body portion II are prevented from so acting because the oil is stopped at the first rod or dam I5 and will be :blocked thereby :from .access :to :the remainder of the solder or other ibonding material on the surface I2. The rod or dam I5 may be made of copper, but any suitable material may be used, such as graphite or the like, which has a higher heat conductivity than the main body portion II. The oil cannot flow around the dam because of the tortuous passage and is stopped from creeping or flowing longitudinally.

Referring :to Fig. 4, a modified form of dam is illustrated. Instead of the semi-circular groove I4, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, a rectangular groove I8 is cut into the main body portion II and a rectangular rod I9 is positioned therein. It has been found that the rectangular rod I9 acts in much the same manner as the rod I5. The rod or dam I9, like th rod I5, preferably has a heat conductivity that is greater than the heat conductivity of the brass so that the temperature of the oil is lowered thereby, causing the 1.011 to adhere much more closely to the rod and hence retard the flow of oil longitudinally through the bearing between the main body portion and the lining.

In the relining 'of the bearing II, the removal of the lining I3 by the use of heat or the like will remove the members I5 and I9 from the main ,body portion I I. The addition of a new lining to the body portion will therefore be a relatively simple matter.

It is apparent, "therefore, that by using a dam I5 or I9 the curved surface I2 of the main body portion of the bearing II, a greater longevity of the bearing is assured. The reason. for failure in bearings of this .nature is not the fact that the lining wears out ,or away but that the lining disintegrates and .breaks away from the main body portion. By inserting a plurality of dams in the bearing surface I2, therefore, the oil is prevented from flowing longitudinally and attacking the bonding surface and the lining i3 is prevented from loosening. A long as the iming can .be made to adhere to the curved surface I2 of :the bearing II, the lining will not :be disintegrated and will not break away. At least twice the normal length of operating time and mileage is obtained by the instant bearing, with a resultant reduction in .loss of time and an increase'in efliciency of the bearing.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the ,form hereinbefore described being merely apreferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a journal bearing, comprisinga bodyportion having a concave surface, a lining secured to said concave surface, and a pair of longitudinally extending channels in the bearing surface of said lining adjacent the .lower edges thereof; a plurality of transverse grooves extending across said concavesurface, and a pluralityof rods positioned in said grooves ,for preventing Oil from creeping longitudinallybetween said surface and said lining.

2. Ajournal bearing, comprising a body portion having a concave surface, a plurality of transversely extending grooves formed in said surface, a plurality of rods mounted in said transverse'grooves-and extending across said surface, a bonding material added to said surface and said rods, and a lining cast-upon said concave surface of'said body portion, said rods actface, a bonding material added to said surface and said rods, and a lining secured to said concave surface of said body portion, said rods acting as dams to prevent access of the oil to said bonding material.

ROBERT J. SHOEMAKER. 

